Our Luna, Our Mate Chapter 138

**Gwen's POV**

“Hmm…” I hummed softly, my eyes scanning over the many different books that were now laid scattered across my desk. Ares having mindlinked me earlier to see if I was willing to help them plan a surprise party for their mate and my current daughter-in-law.

‘Of course we will help them. Athena deserves the world and then some for how she had been treated as a child’ scoffs Ember, my wolf. Her insight always a breath of fresh air when needed.

‘Of course we would,’ I moved to say back to her, only to pause, my mind suddenly remembering back to when my sons were only 9 years old. A twinge of pain now radiating throughout my heart. A feeling that no mother should ever have to feel.

A feeling that I instantly knew would someday bring about unanswered questions. Questions that Alarick and I had tried to keep hidden from our sons since the day the Moon Valley pack had collapsed.

‘We can’t hide it forever Gwen. Sooner or later they’ll learn the truth. To find out that they'd met Athena before while visiting her pack during her 5th Birthday party. While we were there visiting, while Alarick chatted with his friends for the last and final time was more than what we could have ever asked for,’ whispered Ember sadly.

‘I know that, yet sometimes it feels like Alarick lost a part of himself that day as well. I mean, I would too if I knew there was a slim chance of never seeing my friends again. Because, after all, they’ve been best friends since Alpha school. The four of them always joined at the hip. Heck, one would even think that Alarick was more than just a friend to them, but a brother as well, and in some cases he probably was. It was also one of the many reasons why he and his friends created pack treaties. Not because it would bring the packs closer together, but because each pack Alpha became a close friend of theirs while in the process,’ I explained, my eyes still scanning over possible things Athena could want for her surprise birthday party.

A surprise that would be a first for her since being 9 years old, and while I knew I couldn’t change the way fate played a role in her upbringing, I knew I could help change it around by giving her the best birthday ever.

Lost in thought, I fail to hear someone enter the office or at least until a familiar pair of arms manage to wrap themselves around my waist, arms that always brought me comfort during stressful situations such as now.

“What are you doing my love?” whispers Alarick’s voice as he moves to nuzzle into my neck with his face.

“Helping our sons plan a surprise birthday party for their mate, care to join me?” I asked a bit teasingly.

“Nah” chuckles Alarick, his eyes scanning over the items along my desk. “I think you can handle it like you always do. After all, you're good at what you do. Plus, I can help in other ways, like keeping an eye on Adrian and the triplets and keeping them occupied while you work.”

Humming at his words, I moved to finally relax slowly against his body. A part of me wondering if he thinks about the past like I often did. “Alarick my love, do you ever wonder if our sons will ever suspect Athena as the young girl from their past?” I asked him softly, suddenly afraid of raising my voice.

Sighing, I feel his arms tighten around me. 

“I do often wonder about that at times. But there grown men now and as far as I know, they’ve never once mentioned it to me other than when the Moon Goddess would give them dreams of her.”

“Do you consider it a blessing then? That the one person they knew was suddenly ripped away from them only to be found again at a Mating Ball. A Ball where the entire pack used and abused her, her whole entire life when we were helpless to help stop it” I murmured, knowing he would hear me regardless of how I asked it.

“No. I do not” whispers Alarick, his hold tighter. “Yet while I wish Athena’s life had turned out better than what it was, I do not consider it a blessing, but a curse. And while I’m thankful they never once asked about her, I fear it was probably because of the Moon Goddess. That she had something to do with it until she deemed it necessary for them to meet her once again.”

Nodding my head, I move to shove all my past thoughts away for the time being. The need to clear my head rising as I went back to doing what I did best. Plan.

Snorting to myself, I moved to plan out a special theme, knowing that Maya would be able to dress Athena for any sort of special occasion, as she seemed to know Athena inside and out and in some ways she probably did, since they both came from the same pack once.

Feeling a kiss on my cheek, I slowly heard Alarick move to whisper something softly to me, “I’ll be with Adrian if you need me, my love.”

“Okay” I whispered, now completely focused back on the task at hand, the party.

\-2 Hours Later-

It’s now mid-afternoon and everything was slowly coming together just nicely. As I had finally settled on a color scheme of creams, golds and silvers. Colors fitting for that of a Princess or Queen to say the very least.

Smiling, I moved to check the clock on the wall only to see it say 12:30 in the afternoon, which meant I had spent most of my morning buried deep within my office just planning.

Feeling accomplished despite my small trip down memory lane, I honestly feel like Athena would honestly love her surprise birthday party. Smiling again, I decide to head for the kitchen to make some lunch for Alarick and the children, including myself, only to pause.

As voices rise to greet me, the closer I get, voices that I instantly knew in which brings another round of smiles to my face. ‘Mate’ purrs Ember, always excited to see her mate whenever she could, even if we had just seen him earlier that morning before he took Adrian and the pups out for the morning giving me the space needed to work.

Poking my head slowly into the kitchen, I couldn’t help but chuckle softly, my eyes slowly spotting Adrian, Ryder, Nathan and Samara all sitting around the table within the kitchen. Ryder, Nathan and Samara were each in a booster seat as wolf pups typically grew rather quicker than normal babies and right now, the triplets were growing to the point where they could now sit up by themselves without help.

“Grandma” cries Adrian happily, his eyes finally spotting mine from the doorway as I slowly move to greet each of my grandchildren.

“Hello little one” I purr softly before moving to kiss the top of each of their precious heads, followed by soft giggles, each of their faces now covered in food as they slowly begin eating solids with their tiny little hands.

With greetings out of the way, I move to sit with the triplets, my hand gently grabbing a napkin as I slowly start cleaning each of their messy faces. Ryder and Nathan were both not big fans of having their faces cleaned while Samara sat nice and still for me once I reached for her.

“There all done” I say with a smile, Alarick returning with three plates of food, setting a plate down for Adrian first, then me and lastly himself, as we all sat down and enjoyed our lunch together as a family. A family that only seemed to keep growing as life carried on around us.

“So Adrian, did you have fun with Grandpa this morning?” I moved to ask him in between small bites of food, watching as Adrian’s eyes lit up at the mere mention of his and Alarick’s adventure.

“YES!” squeals Adrian, Adrian moving into telling me all about his day, happiness shining brightly within his eyes as he continues to recall everything that they did that morning before returning home for lunch.